Thursday, February 16, 2012 a group of Members of Congress took to the floor of the House of Representatives to discuss the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act. Watch these great remarks by Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-25), a nurse, on how the HHS mandate is a religious liberty issue that affects all of us.

Today, Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, author of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, along with a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress, speaks out against the HHS mandate that intrudes upon religious liberties and violates Americans’ rights of conscience.

Watch the press conference below:

If you have not yet, visit our Action Center to contact your senators and representative to urge them to support the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act.

Our bishops, Members of Congress, scholars, and the media are all commenting on the religious liberty “accommodation”, or rather lack thereof, announced by the White House Friday, February 10, 2012. We’ve compiled some of the best for you to stay informed and share with your family and friends. As you will see, our work is just beginning.

“…we note that today’s proposal continues to involve needless government intrusion in the internal governance of religious institutions, and to threaten government coercion of religious people and groups to violate their most deeply held convictions. In a nation dedicated to religious liberty as its first and founding principle, we should not be limited to negotiating within these parameters. The only complete solution to this religious liberty problem is for HHS to rescind the mandate of these objectionable services. We will therefore continue—with no less vigor, no less sense of urgency—our efforts to correct this problem through the other two branches of government. For example, we renew our call on Congress to pass, and the Administration to sign, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act. And we renew our call to the Catholic faithful, and to all our fellow Americans, to join together in this effort to protect religious liberty and freedom of conscience for all.” (emphasis added)

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops February 10, 2012 statement (more…)

We are already seeing news stories this morning misreporting the bishops’ statements reacting to the White House mandate modification announcement Friday, February 10, 2012.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) statement is lengthy. Here is what you need to know:

“…we note that today’s proposal continues to involve needless government intrusion in the internal governance of religious institutions, and to threaten government coercion of religious people and groups to violate their most deeply held convictions. In a nation dedicated to religious liberty as its first and founding principle, we should not be limited to negotiating within these parameters. The only complete solution to this religious liberty problem is for HHS to rescind the mandate of these objectionable services. We will therefore continue—with no less vigor, no less sense of urgency—our efforts to correct this problem through the other two branches of government. For example, we renew our call on Congress to pass, and the Administration to sign, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act. And we renew our call to the Catholic faithful, and to all our fellow Americans, to join together in this effort to protect religious liberty and freedom of conscience for all.”[emphasis added]

“Our religious liberties are an inalienable right not a privilege that can be changed on a whim,” said Matt Smith, Catholic Advocate president. “Our faith-based institutions should not be forced by this administration or any in the future to violate their beliefs.

“We are disappointed that today appears to be an attempt to fix a political problem in an election year. As some media outlets are reporting, White House staff was reviewing polling data before the HHS mandate was released on January 20. Their thinking was focused on 269 days from now and not the 220 years of our Bill of Rights.

“If the President is serious about protecting religious liberties, than he should signal to Congress he will sign into law the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act so no executive branch action or future action can trample on our rights in the same manner.”

Over the weekend we were alerted to news that the Army’s Office of the Chief of Chaplains ordered priests not to read a letter from Archbishop Timothy Broglio, Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, on the HHS mandate. A compromise was later reached forcing language in the letter to be edited.

“The Obama administration must view the Constitution as a cafeteria of liberties where they get to pick and choose what is on the menu,” said Catholic Advocate President Matt Smith. “It is clear freedom of religion and freedom of speech are not available at this time. Catholics have been told by the Department of Health and Human Services to violate their conscience and now the Army is ordering them to salute and keep quiet. An army officer attempting to silence faithful Catholics serving our country in the name of the Commander-in-Chief is an insult to the values those brave men and women are fighting to defend every day.”

We must join together to stand up for our Church.

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